Given the importance of the bomber and its use in the Pacific, it would make sense to accelerate the new bomber program.

The Mitchell Institute published a report in 2015 arguing the case for the bomber and certainly highlighted why accelerating the program is part of the shift to preparation for higher intensity operations, certainly evident in the Pacific.

While the importance of the new bomber, or LRSS, in supporting US national security grows, the current US bomber fleet continues to age.

It now averages 39 years of age.

The B-52Hs and B-1Bs, with service lives extending to the 2040 time frame, can continue to offer important contributions, but their survivability when operating in contested airspace grows more questionable each year.

The nation’s 20 B-2As have a projected service life out to 2058 and provide important capabilities for decades to come, but the small fleet size limits their potential contribution.

To maintain the nation’s long-range power projection capabilities, the Pentagon has concluded it needs to begin now on developing and fielding a new bomber.